# List of administrators of British Brunei

This is a list of administrators of the British protectorate of Brunei.

## History

Brunei became a British protectorate in 1888, and in 1906 a British resident was given administrative authority. The sultan was obliged to follow his advice. Despite having a foreign government, Brunei's importance started to rise again in 1929 when petroleum production began. In place of Malay customs, traditions, and Islam, the British administration designated a British Resident to serve as the sultan's advisor in all other affairs. A formal constitution was formed by the 1959 Agreement, giving Brunei internal autonomy.
By the end of 1905, Brunei had been reduced to just two tiny, independent enclaves in Sarawak, covering a total area of 5.765 square metres (62.05 sq ft). In fact, had it not been for the British Government's reluctant intervention at this point, James Brooke would have completely engulfed the Sultanate. In order to preserve the monarchy, Sultan Hashim requested British assistance in the internal administration of his nation. He agreed to receive a British officer, to be called the Resident, who opinions were to be received and acted upon on all matters under the Anglo-Brunei Treaty of 1905–1906. Until 1959, successive Residents, who had originally been seconded from the Malayan Civil Service, were in charge of running Brunei.

## List of administrators

| No. | Name | Years |
| Consuls General to Brunei |||
| 1 | James Brooke | 1846–1856 |
| 2 | Spenser St. John | 1856–1863 |
| British Consuls in Brunei |||
| 1 | Noel Penrose Trevenen | 1890–1898 |
| 2 | Arthur Louis Keyser | 1898–1900 |
| 3 | Godfrey Hewett | 1900–1904 |
| 4 | Malcolm Stewart Hannibal McArthur | 1904–1905 |
| No. | Name | Years |
| Consuls General to Brunei |||
| 1 | James Brooke | 1846–1856 |
| 2 | Spenser St. John | 1856–1863 |
| British Consuls in Brunei |||
| 1 | Noel Penrose Trevenen | 1890–1898 |
| 2 | Arthur Louis Keyser | 1898–1900 |
| 3 | Godfrey Hewett | 1900–1904 |
| 4 | Malcolm Stewart Hannibal McArthur | 1904–1905 |
| British Residents in Brunei |||
| 1 | Malcolm Stewart Hannibal McArthur | Jan 1906– May 1907 |
| 2 | Harvey Chevallier | May 1907–Dec 1907 |
| (1) | Malcolm Stewart Hannibal McArthur | Dec 1907– Apr 1908 |
| 3 | John Fortescue Owen | Apr 1908– Sep 1909 |
| (2) | Harvey Chevallier | Nov 1909– Nov 1913 |
| 4 | Francis William Douglas | Nov 1913– Jan 1915 |
| 5 | Ernest Barton Maundrell | Feb 1915– May 1916 |
| 6 | Geoffrey Cator | Jun 1916– Mar 1921 |
| 7 | Lucien Allen Arthur | Mar 1921– Jan 1923 |
| 8 | Eric Ernest Falk Pretty | Jan 1923– Mar 1926 |
| 9 | Oswald Eric Venables | Mar 1926– May 1927 |
| (8) | Eric Ernest Falk Pretty | 1927–1928 |
| 10 | Patrick Alexander Bruce McKerron | May 1928– Sep 1931 |
| 11 | Thomas Falkland Carey | Sep 1931– Oct 1934 |
| 12 | Roland Evelyn Turnbull | Nov 1934– Jan 1937 |
| 13 | John Graham Black | Jan 1937– Dec 1940 |
| 14 | Ernest Edgar Pengilly | Jan 1940– Dec 1942 |
| Japanese occupation of Brunei (1942-1945) |||
| 15 | William John Peel | Jul 1946– Jan 1948 |
| 16 | L.H.N. Davis | Jan 1948– Aug 1948 |
| (8) | Eric Ernest Falk Pretty | Aug 1948– Jun 1951 |
| 17 | John Coleraine Hanbury Barcroft | Jul 1951– Jun 1954 |
| 18 | John Orman Gilbert | Jun 1954– Jul 1958 |
| 19 | Dennis Charles White | Jul 1958– Sep 1959 |